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Merchants Arms, Hotwells, Bristol
Hotwells
Bristol
BS8 4PZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Merchants Arms
Thankfully, a pedestrain crossing to navigate a road that can only be described as motorway-esque.
Small front bar - with full wooden panelling and bare floor.
They are in the Good Beer Guide 2023 and specialise in South West Ales. Dont make the same mistake as me. Its Cheddar Ales Gorge Best, not George best.
Rugby on discreetly and a small group of regulars enjoying the game. I dont know if they were pro or anti Bath.
On 28th March 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Merchants Arms
The Merchants Arms is a decent looking corner pub that is situated just off the busy Hotwell Road.
Once inside the bar faces in a small oblong shaped room to the front,the floor is bare boarded,there is bench seating and small stools for seating and a real fire to the right which was not lit as i visited in the middle of summer,there is a smaller separate room to the rear which is down two steps,there is bench seating and chairs in this room.
There were four real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Palmers Best Bitter,which went down a treat,the other real ales were Palmers 200,Prescott Hill Climb and Bristol Beer Factory Fortitude.
Background music was playing and there were cobs on the bar.
I thought this was a very pleasant pub.
Pub visited 15/7/2017
On 22nd October 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Merchants Arms
A revisit last month found little obvious change apart from a removal of the Bath Ales branding – odd as it still sells it! So the exterior looks quite a bit blander and could do with a replacement sign, I think. Four of their ales on plus some Bath keg products. A friendly welcome from behind the bar and the quality of all sampled beer was good. Filled rolls behind the bar too. A homely little pub that’s well-worth a visit.
June 2009
Used to look like an absolute sh*t-tip when I was younger, when the Portishead bus used to sweep past the outside. I used to wonder who on earth would go there. Well, fast-forward 15 years and after being taken over by Bath Ales I’ve finally ventured in and have returned a good few times since. Pretty much the full regular range of Bath Ales are on, in great nick. The varnished dark wood interior is very small but is still separated into two rooms, the second directly behind the bar with viewing screen which means that you can wave at your other mates still ordering their pints. The blokes behind the bar are friendly and my female companions have always felt happy here. Toilets, as expected, are cramped. Well worth a visit, especially if you've gone down to Trashton Gate to watch your team put of few past Bristol City - it's a healthy (but not that far!) walk. Or if you’ve gone to SS Great Britain – there’s a smashing crawl to be had if you loop round the Cumberland Basin and back down the Hotwells Road into the city centre. Rated 8
On 6th October 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Merchants Arms
A small but popular Bath Ales pub on the one-way system approaching the Cumberland Basin, this is also a useful waiting point for the bus stops opposite. It’s divided in to two rooms, with a narrowish bar along the front of the pub, and a smaller square room at the rear.
The front bar has quite a dark feel with dark wood paint on the ceilings and a mustard colour elsewhere. There are a few wooden booths, wood panelling on the bar, and dark wooden boards on the floor. A large number of beer mats adorn the walls, presumably showcasing ales that have been served in the past. A small TV was showing some sport, but there was no volume.
The rear bar is quite tiny, with only room for four or five tables. There is a fire-place here and a selection of games, including a Connect 4 which Mrs. B always seems to beat me at. Quiz nights seem to be a popular feature, and a notice board documented other pub events such as brewery tours.
Beers on tap were all from the owner’s stable, namely Gem, Spa and Barnsey, although a fourth pump for McMullan IPA had apparently run out. The solitary cider was Bath’s Bounders.
On 9th March 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]